Nobu Hotel London Portman Square

This corner of Marylebone has grown increasingly hip in recent years, and the opening of the Nobu Hotel London Portland Square feels like an exclamation mark. And while the crowd and the vibe will necessarily differ in certain ways from the first Nobu hotel, in the arty East London district of Shoreditch, the experience is a no less memorable one: inspired interiors, lavish luxury, and a very fine restaurant, all under one roof.

The building itself was formerly a less distinguished business hotel, but fear not; once you’re over the threshold, you’re immersed in an ultra-stylish, ultra-luxe version of London with a pronounced Japanese accent, thanks to designer David Collins, who’s responsible for the hotel’s public spaces. The rooms, by Make Architects, are no less impressive, though they are rather more sedate — here Nobu’s heritage lends a minimalistic, Zen-derived tranquility, as well as some quintessentially Japanese amenities like Toto washlets and oversized soaking tubs.

Frankly, it would be an impressive enough hotel even without its flagship restaurant. But for many Londoners, the real headline here is the rebirth of the beloved Nobu Berkeley Street, newly relocated from its Mayfair location. Here chef Nobu Matsuhisa’s signature Peruvian-influenced Japanese fare is presented in its full glory, and it’s here that you’ll dine with a veritable who’s-who of contemporary London society.